5 Things I Wish I’d Know About Labor and Delivery!

A few weeks ago when my friend Jessica announced she was pregnant and asked if there was any advice I could give her. She xplained that there were so many pregnancy symptoms no one had “warned” her about! Some of the ones she had, I didn’t even have myself, so of course I never would have thought to warn her! But, I have been thinking for awhile about posting my thoughts on things to know about Labor and Delivery. So, Jess, this one’s for you!

Most of these things have to do with the recovery part of delivery. I feel that when it came to the actual labor and delivery, that from reading pregnancy books and many blogs I basically knew what to expect… besides deliverying over 4 weeks early! Which brings us to point number one!

1. You can make a “plan” for L & D, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to go the way you “planned” it!

My plan was to have no plan, and it still didn’t go the way I expected! Because of needing to be induced early, I was really thrown for a loop. All along I thought that I wouldn’t go in with expectations and I was just let what happens happen. To me that meant going into labor naturally, saying “honey it’s time,” and driving off to the hospital! Boy, that “plan” didn’t work out!

2. You know how on TV shows and movies when the woman gets to the “push” stage and throws her head forward during the pushing?

Well, apparently you don’t actually have to do that. I wish I had known that, because when I was pushing I threw my head forward with all my might- as if that would help? My neck was sore for over a week. So the lesson here, do what feels rights to you, not just because you think that’s what it’s “supposed” to look like!

3. Did you know your whole body will hurt afterwards?

Yes? Well, I just did not expect that! I, of course, expected to feel sore “down there,” but what I didn’t expect is that my whole body felt like I had been hit by a truck or something! Don’t worry this only lasts for a few days (at least for me)!

4. Epidurals are awesome- in my opinion- but let’s not open that debate up.

If you do choose to get an epidural you should know this- the spot where it goes in will be sore afterwards! As in, really painfully sore. Again, this wasn’t something I expected or even thought about happening, but it did. I guess it shouldn’t have come as a surprise when you think about what an epidural actually is, but you really don’t care at the time! My back hurt in that spot so bad I could barely sit all the way back in a chair, in the car, and I had to carefully lay down if I wanted to lay on my back!

5. It will get better

I don’t really have a good 5th one so I’ll just say this (not unexpected stuff)- you will bleed, you will be sore but it will get better! Also, you might cry a lot, for really no good reason (maybe that was just me?) Your boobs will be sore and get even bigger than they did during the pregnancy!

What was something you didn’t expect about labor and delivery?

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Comments

Okay, this might sound silly but I wasn't expecting to be so tired by the end of labor. This was mostly error on my part because I definitely did not sleep/nap/rest like I was supposed to when early labor started.

So by the time I was in the birthing tub, getting ready to push, I was falling asleep in between contractions. Then I was dreaming really short vivid dreams that had nothing to do with L & D and would wake up talking about my dreams. And I apologized a lot, apparently. I kept saying "I'm sorry this is taking so long!"

Good times, haha. Best of luck to your friend! Tell her to get plenty of rest, she'll need it!

I am actually due in 3 days. So I haven't yet gone through labor. BUT that's sort of the point of my blog (talking about pregnancy and raising the kid afterward)! I plan on writing a thorough "review" of the labor process – your friend should totally check it out in a few weeks (or whenever I get the urge to spill all the details). Thanks for your info! I also read labor stories and tips and all that – I want to be as prepared as possible (which I know is one of those things that … well, you're never going to be totally prepared for).~bethany

This is great. I love how blogging opens up the side of everything that no one wants to talk about. It has been so helpful during my pregnancy. I am due in September with my first and I really don't know what to expect, but this helps! Thanks! 🙂

The thing that surprised me the most was 1 hour after delivery, and having an epidural, they wanted me to get up and walk and take a bath. I could barely feel my legs, let alone walk to take a bath. AND the hospital bed was so uncomfortable I couldn't sleep, not like you do with a newborn anyway. But, I couldn't wait to get home.

Thank you Rachel for giving me a post that was really great to read today. I like reading posts like this because you are HELPING THE READER! I just started blogging and I'm here to learn and educate. Don't get me wrong, I like seeing what people ate for dinner, but THIS, this is the type of post I want to be reading! Especially as a soon-to-be married woman and future mom. Thank you so much!

#2 was the most helpful! Movies and tv are SO misleading. It's a problem.

Five things I wish I'd known…1. engorgement complete with lots of leaking to the point where I needed my husband to keep bringing clean clothes; 2. raw nipples…also causing me to have my husband go buy lanolin and those cooling pads for me; 3. bleeding and the endless amount of mattress pads that go with it; 4. constipation and the constant intake of Mirolax; and 5. the "afterbirth" contractions a week later that were so horrific in pain it made me think something was terribly wrong…lots of Motrin for that one.

Crazy how some things we expect, some things we forget, some things we can just never ever prepare enough for. But you are right, it all passes and in the end you have a little beauty looking back at you.

Great post! The best advice anyone can give is don't have a plan!! I mean you can have a plan that is a good idea but BE FLEXIBLE and know that it hardly ever goes according to plan. I didn't have an epidural with my first but ended up having one with my second and I HATED the feeling of numbness. Really it was awful for me and I didn't expect that- all I wanted at the time was to relax and sleep because it was such a long labor and I was so tired! But I just ended up being even more freaked out because my legs felt so tingly. I also felt like I had gotten hit by a truck after delivering my first- I used muscles I didn't even know I had working to push her out 🙂

I wish I had known more about the recovery part! I didn't expect that it was going to be such a process just to go pee afterwards let alone #2. Nobody likes to talk about it but stool softeners are your friend!

I actually had two labor which were fast and easy….i guess lucky me…but the third was really really painful so i wasn't expecting that! I had to do #4 in the last one and I was sore :/ another thing I didnt expect

I totally didn't expect to have my entire body be so sore and stiff! I told hubs that I didn't feel like I participated in five triathlons but that I WON five triathlons. I don't remember the entrance to where the epidermal was hurting afterwards but that is probably because I was so sore everywhere else. I took so many hot showers just to be able to stretch out my stiff muscles! XOXO/Lenahttp://www.rootandblossom.com